Inspired Interview: Ricky Roberts III

Ricky Roberts III is the author of four books, YOU, What Really Matters,Where Did the Gift Go, and Awakening the New You: A Path to Transformation. He is also a monthly columnist for Transformation Magazine, youth advocate, speaker and visionary. Roberts believes that everyone matters and deserves to know it. This belief inspired him to create YOU ARE VALUED, a nonprofit organization that creates positive change one heart at a time. The vision of YAV is a world where everyone sees the value in who they are and appreciates the same in others. Roberts has had the privilege to connect with 1000’s of youth and adults in a wide variety of settings from maximum-security detention centers to parent and adult groups to middle and high school classrooms.

As a young person Roberts witnessed abuse on many levels between his mother and father, which impacted his perception of love and his self worth for many of his teenage years. After being stabbed nine times at the age of 17, Roberts let go of his role as a victim and began asking how he can use what he has experienced to impact others in a positive way. Roberts takes everything he has learned not only from his own healing process but those he has had the honor to help in theirs and fuses it into his continued effort to best understand how he may be of service to others.

Today, Ricky inspires through his writings, speaking engagements, workshops, youth outreach, volunteer work, efforts with the YOU ARE VALUED movement and his interaction with others in his daily living. He is dedicated to reaching people in a positive way wherever he may be. For more information, please visit rickyrobertsiii.com and youarevalued.org.